When white smoke, so to speak, billowed out of the Israeli cabinet meeting in the early hours of the morning, the die was cast for Israel to widen the war in Gaza .

As expected, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘s proposal for a full Israeli military takeover of the Gaza Strip was accepted. The decision was taken despite thousands, including freed hostages, protesting outside the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem and many other places across the country. The discussion that lasted throughout the night was at times heated, mainly because there were strong reservations about this idea, primarily expressed by Eyal Zamir, the military’s chief of staff. Zamir’s alternative proposal to entering Gaza City, which he fears could entrap troops and put the lives of the remaining hostages at

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